- ‘I have a fire in me to see the world’
Setting sail, immersing into cultures and exploring foreign lands is what 33-year-old Zahirah Marty is all about. By day, Marty is a PR and Brand specialist based in Dubai – but luckily for her, her job allows her to pursue a field she is most passionate about – travel. Although she has been in the UAE for over 10 years now, her home is South Africa, and she misses it everyday.
In conversation with Brunch, she told us that since her job revolves around content creation, particularly in the travel industry, home feels like just a flight away.
“I am passionate about telling stories, seeing the world and learning about different cultures and places,” she expressed. She also balances being a mother of a toddler, while having run her own company for 10 long years.
Zahirah told us she has always been an adventurer, fascinated by the world and all the amazing places within it.
“I began travelling with my family in high school, and that started a fire in me to see the world and travel. I learn so much from travel – most of all about people, food, and cultures, and these are the lessons I am most grateful for,” she expressed.
Her partner too, shares her enthusiasm for travel, and after embarking on many adventures together, they decided to start up a blog detailing all their travels and little tips and tricks on navigating the world. On a train from France to Italy, The Travel Hub’s founding couple Andrew and Zahirah Marty dreamt of creating a community with a shared passion and enthusiasm for travel – a community that would flourish, support, and grow together.
The Travel Hub thus evolved into a communal space of shared journeys and experiences. Through this community, users will gain access to the most relevant information, meet like-minded travellers, and develop relationships with potential collaboration partners. If you’re stopping by in search of travel inspiration, you’ll find it with a simple click; the site can be refined towards your travel interests to connect you with users with similar preferences.
We recognise that the digital world can be an overwhelming space, making it difficult to find information that is relevant to one’s unique travel style. This is why The Travel Hub looks to streamline one’s lust for inspiration, connecting users with others that travel the world in a similar way. Marty told us that since the travel landscape is changing rapidly, this diverse community of content creators, storytellers, and passionate travellers is designed to not only share and disperse information, but create a platform for both industry and opinion leaders to connect.
“Through this portal, we hope to not only connect you to a wider audience, but offer leverage for commercial opportunity within the hub and beyond,” she stated.
The travelling couple Zahirah and Andrew also recently visited Sri Lanka. Zahirah gushes that the trip was absolutely incredible, stating: “I felt very safe at all times and was blown away by the hospitality and warmth inside Sri Lanka.”
For the two of them, food is a big focus of their travel experiences, and they told us they could not get enough of the Sri Lankan food they were served. Zahirah added they did miss out on interacting with local people, given the current situation, but were very impressed by the way the trip was managed by local authorities.
“Every step of the journey was expertly handled – from health and safety, to the overall experience,” she told us.
The two of them stayed within Tier 1 properties – Ceylon Tea Trails and Cape Weligama to be exact – and travelled with the Resplendent Group.
“Our itinerary was really well co-ordinated and very conveniently managed,” Zahirah noted, adding that the staff at both properties were fabulous and made their stay at both hotels absolutely amazing.
“Everything from the hotel room, to the food and service was some of the best I’ve had,” she enthusiastically expressed.
When asked if they could name their most memorable moment in Sri Lanka, Zahirah settled on the afternoon rain.
“It is very tough to choose one moment, as so much of this trip was so special,” she admitted, after finally confessing that she loved the seaside property, but being in the mountains, among the tea trails, took her breath away.
“Living in the desert I miss the rain. We got beautiful downpours almost every afternoon, and this was just magical,” she recalled.
Issuing a word of advice to all travellers that follow them, she recommended exercising responsibility.
“Travel to countries that are taking care of tourists and do your homework,” she informed. Touching on Covid-19, she stated she would recommend that anyone with access to all three vaccines should get all three doses if they are able.
When asked if they had any plans of returning, she exclaimed that they will absolutely be coming back, saying: “I can’t wait to come back. I would like to go back with my son, my parents, and my husband, and see more of the country on my next visit – and eat more food!”
